Swoope: Florida making major strides in economic development

Gray Swoope, president and CEO of Enterprise Florida, discussed the importance of regionalism and Northwest Florida counties working together to bring new companies to the region during his address during the Gulf Power Economic Symposium.

SPECIAL TO THE DAILY NEWS

By DUSTY RICKETTS / Daily News

Published: Saturday, September 29, 2012 at 04:03 PM.

SANDESTIN — Florida’s secretary of commerce says the state has gone from the minor leagues of economic development to the major league.

Gray Swoope, the secretary of commerce and president and CEO of Enterprise Florida — the state’s principal economic development organization — says the state has made major strides the past two years to improve economic development.

Swoope was one of the speakers at last week’s Gulf Power Economic Symposium at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.

“Florida had and still has good economic developers in place, but what had happened was the structure failed,” Swoope said. “There was just a total disconnect. When Gov. Scott came in, he put the pieces together. It’s still a hard process, but if you have the right people in place, you have the right attitude in place, you can move forward and make things happen.”

More than 560 people attended Gulf Power’s 16th symposium, which was record.

Swoope stressed the importance of regionalism in the success of economic development. He compared it to what he called the bear strategy, which is to make yourself appear bigger than you actually are if you are attacked by a bear.

“If you look at all those assets that this region offers and you start marketing together as one, then there’s nobody who can compete with you,” Swoope said. “You have everything from universities to land to buildings, professional economic developers, counties that are pro-business. There’s nobody that can touch you.”

Swoope credited Scott for revitalizing Florida’s economic development efforts when he took office less than two years ago. He said the governor took time to become better prepared to attract new businesses to Florida by figuring out where the state was strong and where it was weak.

Swoope said Florida is known for tourism. While that’s good, he said more diversity is needed to strengthen the economy.

Enterprise Florida’s staff has spent the past year working on a new brand to market Florida to potential businesses.

Swoope said they have held meetings around the state with stakeholders, CEOs and residents to figure out what that brand should be. They plan to roll it out in November.

Tom Fanning, president and CEO of the Southern Co., Gulf Power’s parent firm, also attended the symposium to discuss the company’s view on the nation’s future energy needs and how to meet them.

“I believe North America can be energy independent. We’ve got to restart the renaissance of nuclear in America,” Fanning said. “Let me assure you that nuclear must be a dominant solution as we move forward. When you think about it, it’s the only emissionless resource for generation that we have and it is clean, safe, reliable and is affordable.

“When you think about all of the challenges facing fossil fuels, we’ve got to get this thing going,” he said.

With the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant’s new units 3 and 4 in development in Georgia, Fanning said Southern Co. has taken a leading role in seeing that happen.

Fanning said the plant is a $14 billion project, with his company have a little less than half the stake in it.

The most inspirational speaker at the symposium was Jim Morris, the former Major League Baseball pitcher whose life story inspired the film “The Rookie” staring Dennis Quaid.

Morris pitched in the minor leagues, but an injury forced him to give up his dream of playing in the majors. Instead, he became a science teacher in Big Lake, Texas, and coached the local baseball team made up of players the faculty had written off.

Morris bet his team that if they followed their dream and won the division title, he wouldn’t give up on his and would try out for a major league team. His team won and at the age of 35 he tried out for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He impressed the scouts, made the team and played one season.

“This movie is not about me,” Morris said. “It’s about the team I surround myself with. It’s about the people I put in my life and that I allow in. It’s about that. That’s what life is about, it’s not about me. When you talk about the movie, ‘The Rookie’ and Dennis Quaid played me, and that’s awesome and everything, but it wasn’t about me. It never was. It was about those kids that nobody believed in, it was about dreams, it was about accomplishing something that everybody else said was impossible except for that group around you at that time.

“I have a movie in which my kids can watch with their kids one day and they’ll know that nothing’s impossible.”

Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.

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SANDESTIN — Florida’s secretary of commerce says the state has gone from the minor leagues of economic development to the major league.

Gray Swoope, the secretary of commerce and president and CEO of Enterprise Florida — the state’s principal economic development organization — says the state has made major strides the past two years to improve economic development.

Swoope was one of the speakers at last week’s Gulf Power Economic Symposium at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.

“Florida had and still has good economic developers in place, but what had happened was the structure failed,” Swoope said. “There was just a total disconnect. When Gov. Scott came in, he put the pieces together. It’s still a hard process, but if you have the right people in place, you have the right attitude in place, you can move forward and make things happen.”

More than 560 people attended Gulf Power’s 16th symposium, which was record.

Swoope stressed the importance of regionalism in the success of economic development. He compared it to what he called the bear strategy, which is to make yourself appear bigger than you actually are if you are attacked by a bear.

“If you look at all those assets that this region offers and you start marketing together as one, then there’s nobody who can compete with you,” Swoope said. “You have everything from universities to land to buildings, professional economic developers, counties that are pro-business. There’s nobody that can touch you.”

Swoope credited Scott for revitalizing Florida’s economic development efforts when he took office less than two years ago. He said the governor took time to become better prepared to attract new businesses to Florida by figuring out where the state was strong and where it was weak.

Swoope said Florida is known for tourism. While that’s good, he said more diversity is needed to strengthen the economy.

Enterprise Florida’s staff has spent the past year working on a new brand to market Florida to potential businesses.

Swoope said they have held meetings around the state with stakeholders, CEOs and residents to figure out what that brand should be. They plan to roll it out in November.

Tom Fanning, president and CEO of the Southern Co., Gulf Power’s parent firm, also attended the symposium to discuss the company’s view on the nation’s future energy needs and how to meet them.

“I believe North America can be energy independent. We’ve got to restart the renaissance of nuclear in America,” Fanning said. “Let me assure you that nuclear must be a dominant solution as we move forward. When you think about it, it’s the only emissionless resource for generation that we have and it is clean, safe, reliable and is affordable.

“When you think about all of the challenges facing fossil fuels, we’ve got to get this thing going,” he said.

With the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant’s new units 3 and 4 in development in Georgia, Fanning said Southern Co. has taken a leading role in seeing that happen.

Fanning said the plant is a $14 billion project, with his company have a little less than half the stake in it.

The most inspirational speaker at the symposium was Jim Morris, the former Major League Baseball pitcher whose life story inspired the film “The Rookie” staring Dennis Quaid.

Morris pitched in the minor leagues, but an injury forced him to give up his dream of playing in the majors. Instead, he became a science teacher in Big Lake, Texas, and coached the local baseball team made up of players the faculty had written off.

Morris bet his team that if they followed their dream and won the division title, he wouldn’t give up on his and would try out for a major league team. His team won and at the age of 35 he tried out for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He impressed the scouts, made the team and played one season.

“This movie is not about me,” Morris said. “It’s about the team I surround myself with. It’s about the people I put in my life and that I allow in. It’s about that. That’s what life is about, it’s not about me. When you talk about the movie, ‘The Rookie’ and Dennis Quaid played me, and that’s awesome and everything, but it wasn’t about me. It never was. It was about those kids that nobody believed in, it was about dreams, it was about accomplishing something that everybody else said was impossible except for that group around you at that time.

“I have a movie in which my kids can watch with their kids one day and they’ll know that nothing’s impossible.”

Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.